


If You Give, I'll Give too

by Spiderminx (WebbedUpKatanas)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 03:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13449954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WebbedUpKatanas/pseuds/Spiderminx
Summary: The smile grew even wider, went soft around the edges. Lance's throat was suddenly dry despite the multiple water packs he'd chugged when they'd finished.Because Keith's hair was up in an unfairly cute little ponytail. It kept his hair out of his face, highlighting the way his cheeks had gone a little bit red from exertion, which despite the sweat, wasn't at all a bad look for him. His ridiculously expressive stupidly fucking purple eyes were bright, almost sparkling, even under the Castle’s artificial sun lighting and his expression was one of those rare and almost sweet ‘Keith is opening up’ smiles.Lance, to put it lightly, was fucked.





	If You Give, I'll Give too

Spending an extended amount of time with Keith made Lance sore. 

 

Sore in every muscle, to the point that even his skin felt tender from them flexing as he moved. 

 

He swore Keith Kogane was going to kill him someday. 

 

“Lance, wait!”

 

Lance paused in the hallway that led away from the training room, his shoulders slumping at the sound of Keith jogging to catch up with him.

 

Speak of the devil...

 

“Please don't tell me we forgot to do a drill or something,” he groaned. “Because I have a date with my bed and I'm not standing her up to going back in there. My bruises have bruises.”

 

Lance turned to face the other man as he closed the distance and blinked at the sight of his jacket in Keith's arms. 

 

“You forgot your jacket,” he said, and if Lance wasn't mistaken that was the hint of an almost shy smile tugging at his lips.

 

Surely Keith could have waited and given it back to him later, or just left it there for Lance to find, but the gesture was undeniably sweet. And Lance did have a tendency to get cold fairly quickly, something Keith knew well by now, after all their years in space together.

 

“Oh. Thanks buddy.” He took the jacket and cradled it to his chest, smiling with just a hint of a challenge in his eyes when he noticed Keith hesitate. Long gone were the days of pointlessly needling each other at every opportunity, but Lance found that a challenge always worked wonders to make Keith respond.

 

“No problem. That was… actually really fun,” Keith said, that seed of a smile finally taking bloom. “We should make it a thing.” 

 

Lance bleated out a surprised laugh at the phrasing, but he had to admit that their session had been a lot more enjoyable than when he did his extra exercise on his own. 

 

“Yeah. Let's make it a thing.”

 

The smile grew even wider, went soft around the edges. Lance's throat was suddenly dry despite the multiple water packs he'd chugged when they'd finished. 

 

Because Keith's hair was up in an unfairly  _ cute  _ little ponytail. It kept his hair out of his face, highlighting the way his cheeks had gone a little bit red from exertion, which despite the sweat, wasn't at all a bad look for him. His ridiculously expressive stupidly fucking  _ purple  _ eyes were bright, almost sparkling, even under the Castle’s artificial sun lighting and his expression was one of those rare and almost sweet ‘Keith is opening up’ smiles.

 

Lance, to put it lightly, was fucked.

 

“I'll see you same time tomorrow then,” Keith nodded, and turned to head back in the direction of his room. 

 

“What?! No! We aren't doing this  _ every day! _ ” Lance shouted after him. Keith didn't bother answering, which was the  _ worst. _ “This isn't over, you hear me you skinny purple muppet!”

 

“I'm not purple,” of course the asshole answers  _ that.  _

 

“I hate you!” He called back, without any venom. Keith was wearing his stupid tight body suit and Lance couldn't help but tag on an internal ‘but I love to watch you go’ as he turned back towards his room.

 

Ugh what was  _ wrong  _ with him?!

 

Lance had a problem.

 

The issue wasn't that he liked Keith. That didn't bother him all that much in itself really. After all, he'd gotten over the whole ‘I hate that guy!” thing a while ago.

 

Not that he'd ever  _ really  _ hated him anyways. Hated how he made him feel inferior? Check. Hated the way he had never even given him a second glance, when all Lance wanted was to be his friend? Check. Hated his stupid hair? Double check.

 

But all of his attention seeking issues and good style sense hangups aside, Lance had never entirely hated Keith as a person. He was annoying and aggravating sure, but hey, so was Lance sometimes. Or so he was told.

 

So the problem wasn't his attraction to the other paladin. The problem was…

 

“Shiro!”

 

The other man looked up from his position on the bed and smiled. A smile that made a million butterflies take flight in Lance’s stomach. 

 

“You're here! I thought you were supposed to be tied up with Coran and Allura all night!” Lance tossed his jacket onto his chair and rushed to crawl up on the bed and directly into Shiro's arms. 

 

“It didn't take as long as we thought,” he said warmly, pulling Lance up against the warmth of his body and pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. 

 

So yeah. Shiro…

 

Maybe it was greedy of Lance to have the literal definition of the perfect man in his bed and to want more. To want a scraggly haired, overly broody man who was likely to stab someone at any given moment to be there too. But he couldn’t help it. He wanted Shiro  _ and  _ Keith. Wanted their quiet intensity. Wanted to make breakfast with Keith brooding over losing a coin toss between bacon and sausages, and Shiro to look on fondly and maybe tease them both a little over how goddamn immature it was to flip a coin over breakfast food. He wanted Shiro pressed against his back, Keith against his front while they slept. He wanted Shiro’s mouth on Keith while Keith’s mouth was on him and- well, suffice it to say Lance wanted a lot of things.

 

“You tired?” Shiro asked, bringing him guiltily back from his half formed fantasies. “You seem distracted.”

 

Lance took the out, yawning and stretching like a cat, all arched back and closed eyes in Shiro’s lap. “Mhmm. Your friend Keith pestered me into training with him,” he said, coming out of the stretch by leaning forward to tuck his face against Shiro’s chest. “Dude does not understand the meaning of chill time.”

 

“ _ My  _ friend huh?” he laughed, dutifully rubbing circles against Lance’s back. Shiro really was too good to him. 

 

“Yup. You knew him first. You take responsibility for… all that. Him,” Lance was quickly losing his ability to make reasonable statements as Shiro’s hands switched from a gentle rub to more of a massage. God the pressure was perfect. Just at the exact junction between pain and pleasure that was a staple for any great massage.

 

Shiro hummed in what Lance immediately decided was amused agreement. “Did you two play nice?” he said, and Lance was  _ so  _ glad that he could use the massage as an excuse for the little shiver  _ that  _ sent through him. Hoo boy, in another context Shiro asking that… or oh god even demanding that in his ‘I’m the Leader’ Voice was… 

 

“Yeah. We’re making it a thing, his words,” Lance laughed, shifting his warming face into the crook of Shiro’s neck. “He seemed pretty excited about it I think. Who knows, it’s hard to tell with him. Too much hair,” he lied. Because really, once you got to know him, Keith wasn’t too terribly difficult to read. 

 

“Well, I’m glad you two are bonding. Even if it  _ is  _ by punching each other.”

 

Lance made a noise of protest. “Actually we punched a droid. Together. So there! We can totally get along without the punching.” Shiro’s finger dug in to a particularly good spot, and Lance made a soft sound against his neck. “Anyways, can we maybe talk less about sweaty Keith and more about how I’m here, on your lap, with your hands all over me? With our whole night free, no less.”

 

When he raised his head, Shiro was smiling with his eyebrow raised. “Oh? I’m not sure if I have much to say on the topic.”

 

Lance grinned, all playfulness, and leaned in close as Shiro’s hands settled on his hips. “That’s okay. If things go as planned you won’t have to do much talking at all.” 

 

He muffled whatever smartass comment Shiro was about to make with his mouth, and got a nip at his bottom lip for his efforts. Thankfully, Shiro decided to play along and run his tongue along the bitten lip as an apology, which of course led to some really  _ really  _ nice deep kissing that had Lance squirming in his lap in no time. 

 

And for a little while, Lance was able to forget his mild guilt, forget about his stupid crush, and just live in the moment. Shiro was quite good at that. Keeping him grounded even while he made him feel like he was flying through space. 

 

But after a nice shower (which miiiight have gotten a little bit dirty before it got clean), when he was curled up warm and safe in Shiro’s arms, he couldn’t help but imagine how nice it might be to also have his arm around another warm body and his face buried in a horrible haircut that he had somehow learned to love.

  
  
  


……….

 

Lance was realistic. He knew when to push forward and when to take a step back. He did what was best for the team, with less regard for what he wanted and more for keeping the peace. So he had offered to step down, back when Shiro was missing. He had kept his mouth shut (but eyes wide open) when the newly rescued Matt flirted with Allura shamelessly. He crushed down his crush on their former team leader because he was ridiculously happy with their current one. 

 

Except, as he was now discovering, sometimes a situation that looked like it required holding back could flip itself around in the most unlikely of ways into a push forward kind of thing.

 

For example, this very moment, sitting in the kitchen absentmindedly holding up some sort of antenna for Pidge as she and Hunk fiddle with something or other. He’s not paying attention really, because something far far more interesting is happening at the other end of the room. Something that requires his full attention.

 

Shiro and Keith are chatting in hushed voices, the smiles on their faces evident even across the room. They’re leaned close, eyes locked on each other’s as they talk about quiznak knows what. It’s intense, and intimate, and everything that had led Lance to believe for so long that he had no chance with Shiro. Because how could they be together if Shiro was already with Keith.

 

But that deep bond, that ember that burned hot at times and seemed to crackle just below the surface at others, wasn’t romantic. So said Shiro, right before he swept Lance into his arms and kissed him senseless. It was really  _ really  _ hard to disagree with an argument like that. 

 

And so, Lance had let his jealousy ebb away. 

 

Looking back, he sort of wished he’d pushed the point. Because things would be  _ so  _ much easier if Shiro just wanted Keith the way Lance did.

 

As if in answer to his wish, the universe chooses that moment to make it happen. At just the right time, barely a moment before Lance can follow through on his thought to pay attention to the vigorous poking Pidge is giving him with a wire, Shiro does it.

 

He smiles.

 

Not just any smile. This isn’t the sort of expression he just parades around willy nilly. This is like the tuxedo of smiles; only taken out on special occasions. Occasions like when Lance says ‘I love you’, or in the early morning when Shiro thinks he’s asleep. Occasions when the sweet softness between them leaves them both breathless and staring into each other’s eyes, unable to look away despite how  _ embarrassing  _ and downright scary it can be sometimes to be that raw, let someone in so deep.

 

Shiro smiles that tuxedo smile, right at Keith’s back as the red paladin turns to walk away. 

 

And, holy crow, yeah… that’s the exact same smile on Keith’s face as he looks down at the wrist Shiro had gripped at the end of their conversation.

 

“Lance, lift your leg a little? Yeah, perfect, thanks buddy,” Hunk says, completely unaware that his best friend is now functioning on autopilot as his mind spirals.

 

He should be jealous. That’s a normal person reaction to seeing something like that, right? And, okay, maybe he is just the tiniest bit envious but…

 

But Shiro looks at him over Keith’s shoulder, and his expression is so soft as he takes in Lance’s position that it makes something ache beautifully deep down in his chest. And when he looks to Keith, well- yeah okay, that look is a little more judgy, but still. Lance could swear there was something there, just a second before he registered that Lance was looking. Something straddling the line between fond and sad. A longing look, that instantly has warmth flowing through Lance’s veins.

 

“You look like an idiot,” Keith says, coming to a stop and surveying the scene before him. 

Lance had it together enough to squawk indignantly at him, even as he wobbled and almost face planted against Hunk's back. “Rude and also super hypocritical coming from a dude who shops at Hot Topic unironically!” 

 

The little furrow between Keith's brows might have once made Lance’s hackles rise, but at this point he recognized it as a sign of confusion rather than anger. Which, yeah okay was kinda adorable. Also ridiculous, because how could someone as Edgy™ as Keith never heard of Hot Topic?!

 

“Lance! Focus!” Hunk interrupted, at the exact same time as Pidge swore vehemently in three different alien languages with an English “Fucking shit, Lance!” thrown in for good measure. 

 

“Pidge,” Shiro's stern voice cut over Lance’s laughter, which only doubled as he caught sight of Keith's shocked but amused expression. 

 

“Someone's in trouuuuble,” Hunk stage whispered, which set Keith off laughing too. 

 

Pidge looked up at Shiro with a sheepish smile that just barely edged into defiant territory, which was ridiculous. Struck by the image of their leader looking sternly at Pidge, a twenty two year old woman, for swearing was making it difficult for him to contain his giggles.

 

“I've never heard that middle one. What was it, crashiak?” Shiro said, grinning. “You'll have to teach me the best ones you've picked up.”

 

Pidge grinned wickedly. “Of course,” she said, in a tone that suggested that Shiro had no idea what he was getting himself into. “Anything for our blashkeeting leader.”

 

It wasn't even that shocking of a curse word, more of a fond insult than anything, but the incongruity of Pidge cooing it sweetly to Shiro of all people clearly tickled Keith, if the way he practically doubled over with laughter meant anything. He grabbed onto Shiro's shoulder for support, and Shiro's delighted face burned itself into Lance’s memory in the best of ways. 

 

Hunk was cackling hysterically and Pidge looked so damn proud of herself that Lance could barely stand either, and if he used his laughter as an excuse to lean against his boyfriend and grip Keith's arm, well… no one had to know his intentions but him.

 

Shiro’s smile was far too soft as he supported both of them, and for the first time ever, Lance felt something other than dread at the thought of his stupid crush on Keith.

 

This, Lance considered, might just work. 

 

……….

 

There was a diplomatic way to bring this issue up with Shiro. Lance was certain of it. He'd spent three weeks rolling ideas around in his mind, and had at least three methods on the tip of his tongue every time he saw his boyfriend. But somehow they'd all just… stayed there. On the tip of his tongue. It was starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth.

 

So one night when things were finally quiet, and Shiro's breathing had almost evened out, Lance found himself gracelessly blurting out the question that had been on his mind for weeks.

 

“Do you like Keith?”

 

Lance cringed both internally and externally at his own monumental lack of smoothness , but hey, at least it was out there now. 

 

Shiro made a gruff sleepy noise. The kind that Lance hadn’t even known he could make until they had started dating, and that he now couldn’t imagine living without. “If this is about your rivalry, I'm not taking sides,” he grumbled against the pillow. 

 

Lance huffed a nervous laugh in response. “No no, I mean do you  _ like _ Keith,” he said, reluctantly pulling himself away from Shiro’s warmth to lean up against the headboard. Shiro looked at him blearily, and seemed to decide that Lance was serious enough to warrant being awake for this conversation. He rubbed his eyes with his human hand and then shuffled up into a sitting position as well.

 

“You know that I do,” he said, scratching his naked chest, which was just completely unfair and distracting. How was he supposed to concentrate now that his attention had been drawn to that pretty pretty stretch of skin?

 

“No no,” Lance protested, tearing his eyes away from those delicious pecs with difficulty. “I mean in the elementary school sense. You know, like like? Do you like like Keith.”

 

Shiro looked at him for a long moment, the sleepiness making him look way too cute, even as he began to process what Lance was asking. “Lance I'm happy with you,” he said, slow and careful. “I love you and I’m not interested in leaving you for anyone, let alone-”

 

“Nono Shiro, I don't think you get it. I know you like  _ me _ , it's Keith I want to know about,” Lance rushed to say, scooting in closer to place a calming hand on Shiro’s arm. He was messing this up so quickly, but he wasn’t sure blurting out ‘I want to make Keith our second boyfriend,’ would be the greatest idea, and being roundabout was harrrrd this late at night.

 

Surprisingly, Shiro didn’t protest. He sat silent for so long that Lance would have thought he was asleep if not for the searching look he was getting. 

 

“I used to.”

 

Lance let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. “Okay. How about now?”

 

Shiro exhaled and shifted to look him in the eyes more directly. “Lance I'm not going to leave you just because I had feelings for Keith in the past,” he said, so seriously that Lance couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Okay, but that there,” he said, squeezing Shiro’s bicep in a way he hoped was comforting “In the past. Are you over him, or no?”

 

Lance wanted to squirm, to fill the silence his question had left with a joke or… or  _ something.  _ But he kept himself silent. Kept himself still and waited for Shiro to process whatever jumbled thoughts were chasing themselves through his head right now.

 

“Lance,” he finally said, carefully. “I don't want you to think I love you any less becau-”

 

“Shiro oh my god I  _ know  _ you're crazy about me. I love you too, stupid. That’s not what this is about!” 

 

Lance had never seen Shiro look this confused before. It would have been a kind of novel experience if he hadn't felt like there were a million nervous butterflies devouring his internal organs. 

 

“What is this about then?”

 

Lance quickly made a mental note never to spring important questions on someone late at night ever again, because holy shit was he ever bad at it.

 

“Okay,” Lance sighed, just a little bit frustrated and a whole lot afraid. “Takashi Shirogane, love of my life who I am fully planning on staying with for literally as long as you want me. Like forreal you're marriage material here,” his heart fluttered at the softly delighted smile that bloomed on Shiro's face at that, and he felt encouraged to continue on boldly. “What I'm  _ trying  _ to ask you is- do you like Keith the way  _ I  _ like Keith.” 

 

The ensuing fifteen seconds of silence feel like twenty years. Twenty years filled only with the thundering hammer of Lance’s heart against his ribcage, and the stunned expression on Shiro’s face.

 

“Oh,” he says, his eyes flickering down to his hands in his lap. “That actually explains some things.”

 

A spike of horrified fear wraps around Lance’s heart and squeezes like a vice. “Shiro, no! No, I haven’t done anything with him, I would never do that to you. You’re my ev-”

 

Two hands cradling his face cut his words short as Shiro looks him in the eyes, his expression fondly amused. “I know.”

 

The air rattles out of Lance in a rush as Shiro moves to straddle him, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean that now I understand why you two are always bashing heads. You’ve got a crush.”

 

“Hey! That is  _ not  _ why we fight! Our rivalry goes way back and is so much more nuanced than- stop laughing!” 

 

Shiro has his head bowed, his floof of white hair falling in his face as he chuckles, low and sweet. Lance can’t even be mad, because he looks so beautiful and he’s there, in his lap loving him despite the enormity of what Lance has just confessed. 

 

“You are the worst. Such a moment ruiner,” Lance sighs, taking his turn now to cradle Shiro’s cheek in his hand. “Are you okay? Is this… I don’t need anything more than you, you know that right? We can forget this ever happened, or just talk about it and put it behind us…”

 

Shiro presses their foreheads together, his hands warm and cold on Lance’s hips. 

 

“Do you want more,” he asks, in that low rumbly voice that makes Lance feel warm to his very core. “I know you don’t need it,” Shiro cuts him off before he can protest. “Do you want it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Shiro’s smile is warm enough to rival the sunniest day spent at Varadero beach, and it warms his soul in the same way. 

 

“I do too,” Shiro confirms, as Lance’s heart does some very complicated acrobatic routines in his chest. 

 

“Okay,” he says, grinning from ear to ear. “Okay. So what do we do now?”

 

Shiro laughed, muffling it against Lance’s lips. 

 

“I guess now, we talk to Keith.”

……….

  
  


Lance can't keep eyes off of Shiro and Keith. They’re across the room chatting, leaning into each other’s spaces, and the pull between them is undeniable. Lance doesn’t know how he  _ ever  _ though Shiro might not be down.

 

He’s been having trouble looking away from them whenever they’re together. It’s nice to see them both so at ease, but well, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find it ridiculously hot as well. 

 

What?!

 

They were both strong and intense, and close enough to share body heat. Dark figures, who if they stepped just a little bit closer… if Shiro leaned down juuuuust a touch…

 

Lance grinned when Shiro looked up, and raised an eyebrow as the taller man said something to Keith before moving towards him.

 

Hmm, that was a thought too. Being sandwiched between those two, having that laser focus Shiro did so well directed on him combined with that wild look Keith got when he was about to do something impulsive. Shiro could grab his hair, tilt his head back, making room on Lance’s neck for Keith to move in and…

 

“Stop,” Shiro warned lowly. 

 

Lance was, of course, completely innocent of anything and therefore entirely confused and not at all enjoying Shiro’s blush.  “Stop what?” he asked, in a tone that was fully representational of his absolute innocence, and which was not in the slightest teasing, thank you very much.

 

Shiro was not fooled.

 

“I can feel you watching us,” he said, his voice unfairly low and kind of sexy. Why did he have to sound so hot when he was annoyed. It just made Lance want to needle at him more. 

 

“Does it feel good?” He asked, all sly and sweet and totally not helping the situation.Shiro gave him a flat glare, but his cheeks were definitely a little bit pink. Cute. 

 

“Lance,” Shiro warned again.

 

“Kidding kidding!” he backpedalled, standing up on his toes to give Shiro a sweet kiss in apology. Then, when he had him on the hook, Lance reeled him into a deeper kiss, just to make Shiro sweat. 

 

He looked up at him through his lashes when he pulled back, gleefully taking in Shiro’s obvious blush. “I know it feels good,” he purred, tapping Shiro’s chest consolingly and winking before he turned away.

 

“Lance,” his boyfriend called after him, possibly louder than required given Lance had only gone a few steps. It’s his playful tone though. Playful Shiro is one of Lance’s favourite Shiros. “You’re being very bad.” 

 

Lance throws his head back and laughs, because this is fun and lighthearted, and it makes his soul sing. And the fact that Keith is there is thrilling. Flirting with Shiro in front of Keith… well, it feels like more than just flirting in front of Keith. This feels like flirting  _ with  _ Keith, in some weird indirect way. 

 

Lance blows Shiro a kiss. “I’m always bad,” he says, and catches sight of Keith over Shiro’s shoulder, his eyes wide and face red before Lance even locks eyes with him. “Right Keith?”

 

He flinches like Lance had slapped him, and Lance almost feels bad for calling him out on watching, except that Keith responds with “Yeah, bad at everything.” 

 

Shiro, the traitor, laughs like watching Lance stutter and flail in annoyance is the funniest thing he’s seen all day, but Lance doesn’t  _ really  _ mind. Not when his laughter has Keith smiling like he could barely hold back his own, and makes Lance glow with happiness at seeing  _ them  _ happy. 

 

“You know,” he said, levelling Keith with a mock glare and pointing at him threateningly, “I'm only bad when you two,” he swung his finger at Shiro to illustrate his point, “are mean to me.”

 

He cocked his hip, feeling saucy, and let himself indulge in a nice long once over of both of them before saying, “try being nice sometime, and maybe I'll show you how good I can be.” 

 

He spun on his heel and smirked as two distinct choking sounds followed him out of the room.

 

……….

 

When they finally sit Keith down to talk, it didn't exactly go how Lance expected. 

 

He expected Keith to… yell maybe? To be confused or to stomp out. To freak out. 

 

Instead he just goes really  _ pink _ .

 

It’s a struggle to keep himself from squealing at how damn cute Keith looks, blushing and staring down at his hands for a full minute after they both confess. It’s also a little bit of a relief, not having the intensity of Keith’s eyes focused on his face like they had been earlier, scrutinizing his every word.

 

“Can,” Keith pauses to clear his throat. “Can I… I need some time to think…”

 

Lance was endlessly grateful that both he and Shiro trip all over each other to reassure him at the same time, because for the first time since the whole conversation had started, Keith actually cracked a smile.

 

“Okay,” he said, and he’s looking between them with that dumb adorable smile still lingering on his lips, at which point Lance realizes that he is absolutely screwed. Turning to look at Shiro, it’s clear by the look on his face that he’s come to the same realization. 

 

“So, yeah. Think about it. About us, and stuff. You can even think about us in bed if it hel-” Lance cackles when Shiro cuts him off with a frantic hand over his mouth and Keith goes as red as his dumb crop top jacket. 

 

Lance ducked away from Shiro, giggling madly as Keith looked on in shell shocked embarrassment. “Okay okay, sorry! I just mean think about it,” he laughed, turning his smile towards Keith, bright and genuine. “We like you a lot.”

 

Hah! Keith’s face was burning brighter now than ever, which was a huge win in Lance’s book. So Keith liked soft. He could do soft.

 

“You do,” Keith said, the statement more of an awed question. His eyes flicked from Lance’s face to Shiro’s. The look between them was one of those lingering one’s that used to drive Lance up the quiznacking wall, but this time he really didn’t mind so much. 

……….

 

Lance was having second thoughts.

 

Not about Keith. He was pretty darn certain about how he felt about him. No, he was just… reevaluating his optimism that this whole thing could work. Or, more specifically, that Keith wanted them.

 

It had been a week since the surprisingly easy confession, and Keith was acting weird. Well, weirder than usual. 

 

He wasn't exactly avoiding them per say. It was more like… like he kept forgetting how to act like a human whenever he or Shiro were around.

 

“Keith has his own way of dealing with things,” Shiro had taken to repeating whenever Lance brought it up, but it wasn't hard to tell that he was losing hope too.

 

It was weird. Almost like any rapport they'd gained with Keith had gone out the airlock, leaving a stiffly awkward Keith-Shaped being walking around like he thought Shiro and Lance were planning on torturing him if they caught him alone. (Lance made a mental note to ask Coran if there were any species who literally  _ did _ take over a person's shape and make them awkward. It was space. You never knew for sure.)

 

Like yesterday after training. Shiro and Lance had been talking by the door when Keith had frozen in front of them like a startled deer, eyes growing huge for a moment before he'd looked to the floor. 

 

“You um… you fight good,” he'd mumbled to their feet, before half jogging out of the training room. 

 

“Was that,” Shiro said slowly, eyes on the door “directed at you or at me?”

 

“No idea. Both, maybe?”

 

Lance shrugged, redirecting his concerned look from the door to Shiro. “You okay?” 

 

Shiro had nodded, but it was clear enough to Lance that he was worried. 

 

At dinner another night, less than two days later, it was the same thing. 

 

They'd been having a perfectly normal meal, when Lance had looked up and caught Keith's eye. All he'd done was smile at the guy and all of a sudden it was like he'd lost his space marbles.

 

“I was just-” he blurted out, as though he'd gotten caught smuggling booze into his dorm at the Garrison or something. “Can you pass, uhh… no, nevermind, I've got it.” 

 

He’d lunged like a madman over the table, nearly sending a goblet of Nunvill flying in his haste to snatch up the salt. 

 

“Uh, Keith? Buddy? You okay?” Hunk had asked, as the whole table watched in horrified fascination as he dumped an unholy amount of salt onto his slice of space-chocolate cake.

 

“I’m fine,” he’d gritted out, and proceeded to eat the entire salty mess with barely a wince, his face flaming red and shoulders hunched. 

 

Pidge had grabbed Lance’s arm on the way out, and levelled him with a stern glare. “I don’t know what you did this time, but fix Keith. At first it was kind of funny, but now his malfunctions are just getting sad,” she said. “And gross.”

 

Privately, Lance agreed. “Okay first of all, why do you think Keith’s weirdness has anything to do with me!” he asked, offended. Pidge didn’t dignify that with an answer, just jabbed a finger against his chest. Hard. 

 

“Fix. It.”

 

“Ouch! Yeesh, okay! Okay!” he rubbed at the spot and pouted. “I’ll fix it. No need to claw me to death.” 

 

She patted his cheek and grinned at him, which was unfairly cute despite how patronizing it should have felt. But the wrath of Pidge, paired with the worried little crinkle at the corner of Shiro’s eyes that was becoming a fixture these days settled it. He needed to talk to Keith. Like, yesterday.

 

Shiro agreed.

 

“Keith! Do you have a minute?” Shiro called out. Keith, for his part, froze like he’d been hit with Blue’s ice beam in the middle of the hallway that he’d just moments before been attempting to creep down. Trying to avoid them no doubt.

 

“Uh… yes?” 

 

Lance snorted, rolling his eyes. “Wow, you sound so certain Mullet. You got better places to be?”

 

The jab was, admittedly, not necessary but Lance was feeling almost desperate for a little slice of normalcy between them. 

 

Unfortunately, Keith did not provide it. Instead of snarking, he ducked his head slightly and mumbled a soft “no, don't be stupid. Of course not.” 

 

Shiro and Lance traded glances, neither quite sure what to make of that. 

 

“Okay! So then why are you being so weird?” 

 

“Lance,” Shiro admonished lightly. He gave him a  _ look _ , then turned back to Keith. “What Lance  _ meant  _ to say is, we've been worried. You haven't exactly been yourself lately.”

 

Keith was silent. It was actually scary. He just stood there staring at his feet quietly as Lance’s hopes crashed down and smashed all over the hallway floor.

 

When he finally looked up he looked… determined. Like it was taking all of his courage just to look them in the eyes. “I know. It’s just been hard to… to tell you guys I guess. But I’ve been trying.”

 

Ah. So Keith had been… giving them signals? Just not the kind they’d been hoping for. 

 

Lance looked to Shiro, and was relieved that at least his own sadness was reflected in his boyfriend’s expression. He wasn’t in this rejection alone. And thankfully, Shiro took the reins on graciously accepting their fate. 

 

“We understand Keith. I can’t say I’m not,” Shiro paused, seeming almost bashful that he’d started the sentence, “disappointed, but I understand. We understand.” 

 

He nudged Lance in the side, thankfully with the human elbow. “Right. Yeah, it’s cool buddy. I mean I get it, poly isn’t for everyone. Heck, I didn’t even think it was for me until you know, we kept flirting and it was like ‘woah, I really like him.’ But it's all good, we don't have to be weird about it just because you don't want to be a thing. It's okay.”

 

“What?!” Keith's voice cracked and he looked between them as though they'd been replaced by biboh cosplayers. “I've been… of course I want… I was flirting with you!” 

 

Lance's jaw hit the floor at the same time Shiro doubled over laughing. 

 

“You've been what now?!” Lance yelped, looking between their fearless leader who was practically crying with laughter. 

 

“It's not funny,” Keith grumbled. Through his shock Lance almost felt bad for the guy. Right up until his displeased frown started to tilt upwards almost against his will. 

 

“You- Shiro stop laughing- you've really? With the ‘you fight good’? And the, I cannot believe-” Lance could  _ not  _ close his mouth if he tried, so utterly floored and… well… horrified. That was Keith's attempt to  _ flirt?  _ He had so much to teach him, holy quiznack.

 

One glance at Lance's flabbergasted expression was all it took to crack Keith. He broke down, wheezing in laughter just as hard as Shiro was.

 

“Are you really both laughing right now?! Really?” Lance asked through his own growing smile. “I can't believe I like you two. So, was that a yes?”

 

Keith sobered up enough to nod, his smile going shy around the edges but his eyes still bright.

 

Lance really couldn't be blamed, given the swell of emotion in his chest, for stepping forward close enough to kiss. 

 

He stuck his hand out to pull Shiro in as well, grinning when he came easily into their little huddle. 

 

“Can I?” Lance asked, only for Keith to surge forward and kiss him so hard it made his knees go weak. He didn't even wait a second after the kiss ended, before pressing his lips to Shiro's. Because apparently Keith didn't need to breathe. 

 

Which was cool, because the sight of Shiro and Keith kissing was something Lance wouldn't soon forget. He wouldn't want to either. 

 

……….

 

Being with Shiro and Keith made Lance sore. 

 

His face was sore from smiling. His mouth sore from kisses, and his body sore from training together, exploring alien planets together and kicking evil badguy ass together.

 

And speaking of asses, his was often was sore from- well you can probably guess what from. Not that he didn't give just as good as he took, mind you! 

 

All in all though, all these new ways to feel sore were just about the best thing Lance could have asked for. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So I started writing some smut for this and then decided I like it better ending here. Smut to follow (someday) for anyone interested! Thank you for reading :)


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